Academy of Exploration

09/03/2026

First guest expert of the year! 🎉

Students got to hear from the Director of The Center for Archaeological Research, Kevin Cupka Head. This provided students with a deeper understanding of ancient cultures and how we discover new information about these people groups.

Students also spent the morning doing their first tools training about how to use box cutters effectively and safely. 🧰

08/29/2026

We wrapped up the first week of school with our Connect Kick Off 🌟

All week students have been connecting to the AOE community through team builders and challenges. Today we celebrated with six fun rotations through a final set of community builders including inflatables, water games, art projects, and more!

08/27/2026

Days 2 & 3 included more team builders and a water zip line STEM challenge.

Today students learned the importance of using the design process to plan, create, and improve!

08/25/2026

Day 1 ✅

Team builders, procedures, wearable identifier STEM Challenge, and more!

06/08/2026

Hudson competes this Saturday at the Math League National Competition. Good luck from all of us! 💙➕✖️➗➖💙

https://www.sps.org/p/~board/homepage-posts/post/springfield-students-place-in-state-math-league-competition?fbclid=IwRlRTSASUJwxleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEexMnvvhH7DiMjgaaBw3o5jvaz-hDm-_4eTbanJiVWhnydFgO1WZT0QcXwP_o_aem_qzBiaAal690XsIuGU0JDzw

Two SPS students placed in the Missouri State Math League Competition, one qualifying for the national competition.

06/06/2026

Did you know that AOE has several clubs and activities that offer students opportunities outside of core curriculum?

This year we had Student Council, Band, Orchestra, Book Club, Science Olympiad, and Math Team. 🎶🎷🎻📖🔬🧮

Springfield Public Schools, Springfield, MO

05/27/2026

Don’t worry, we didn’t forget 6th Grade Send Off 🎉

It’s an AOE tradition for our 6th graders to plan and enjoy an end of year send off party after their last assembly and awards. This year’s theme was Glow! 🌟

05/22/2026

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!

Pod pics, games, ice cream, memory book signing, birthday fashion show for Mr. Gillham, and lots of tears!

05/21/2026

Dinner on the Trail 🏞️

During our Cultivate Unit, students learned about Westward Expansion, farming practices, health standards, and more. They then took that knowledge and created a plated dinner fundraiser for their families.

In teams, students cooked the food, decorated the rooms, planned the entertainment, and set up the event. We served almost 400 dinners to our community!

Thank you to all our sponsors and families that made this event possible. 💙

05/21/2026

Last set of Gray-Campbell Farmstead pics!

Also we are way behind on posting so be prepared for an AOE photo dump the next few days!